Safety-catch



J. FIELDING.

SAFETY CATCH. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 30, 1920.

1,373,125. m Mar.'29,1921.

,yM/MW Qwuemtoz v UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOHN FIELDING, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. ASS IGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJOSEPH P. WHITAKER, OF APPONAUGH, RHODE ISLAND.

SAFETY-CATCH.

Application filed September 30, 1920. Serial No. 413,835.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JOHN Frnnomo, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and Eltate of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSafety-Catches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety catches for pins, brooches, and thelike, and is an improvement on my prior application, Serial Number375,361, filed April 20, 1920; and the object of my present invention isto provide an improved construction of keeper which comprises a pair ofspaced-apart side ears having a guard member rotatably mounted betweenthem, said ears being pro vided with means for preventing their freeedges from spreading, whichconstruction is of great advantageparticularly where the device is made of thin stock such as is the casewhen the same is constructed of pre cious metals such as gold, silver,or platinum.

A further object of this invention is to also provide means forpreventing the ring shaped guard member, which is rotatably mountedbetween the keeper ears, from spreading due to the effect of excessivestrains upon it.

The nature and advantage of the invention will be better understood whenthe following detail description is taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the invention residing in the combination andarrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, like numerals ofreference indicate similar parts in the several views and wherein Figure1 is a side elevation of my im proved safety catch mounted to receivethe pointed end of an ordinary pin-stem.

Fig. 2 shows the keeper member in e); tended position as cut from sheetstock.

Fig. 3 is sectional edge view showing the ears of the keeper as slightlyspread apart and the guard member as mounted upon the trunnion betweenthem.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation ShOWIIIg the free edges of the keeper earsas locked together against spreading, by cross bars.

Fig. 5 is a top edge view of the catch member. a

Fig. 6 is a side elevation with one of the side earsremoved showing theguard member in open position.

Fig. 7 is the same as Fig. 6 but showing the guard member in closedposition.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a detail of the ring-shaped guardmember with an entering marginal slot.

Fig. 9 is a top edge view illustrating a modified construction of thecatch in which a separate and independent locking bar is provided, meansalso being provided on each side ear for embracing and locking the opposite ends of this bar. A

Fig.10 is a perspective view illustrating the independent locking barremoved.

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates theusual pin-stem as beingmounted in a joint member 11 attached to the body portion 12 of the pin,and also showing my improved safety-catch member 13 as connected to theopposite end of the pin body to re ceive the pointed end of thepin'stem.

This catch comprises a keeper member which is preferably first blankedout of sheet stock into the sha V e best illustrated in Fig. 2, having apair 0 side cars 14 and 15 connected together by a base portion 16..Each of these cars is provided with a nai ginal slot 17 which extendsinwardly from the edge to the center portion thereof and the Gfi-1 1t isshown as being provided with a trunnion 18 which extends laterally fromi the inner face thereof. i The inner surface of the opposite car 15 isprovided with a counter-borefor recess 19 into which the free end of thetrunnion sets when the ears are in operative position. The car 14 isalso shown as being provided with a plurality of integral bars or arms20,

. each having an enlargement or head 21 on their free ends, andtheopposite car 15 shown asbeing provided with correspondingly bendablelugs 22 for embracing the head portion of each of these arms 20, to

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 29, 1921,

6 24, while the other side of the slot 24 is suplook the ears againstspreading when bent up into operative position.

In order to close the marginal slots 17 in these ears to securely lockthe pointed end'of the pin-stem when inserted therein, 1 have provided aguard member 23 which is preferably made in substantially ring shapehaving a marginal slot or opening 24 through it into its center 25,which slot or opening is adapted to register with the slots 17 in theside ears of the keeper, as illus: trated in Fig. 6, when it is desiredto admit the pin-stem therein. This guard member is provided with anoperating handle'26 and is mounted-to rotate upon the trunnion 18 3between the side ears.

In some instances, particularly where the keeper is made of any ofthe'precious metals, such as gold, silver or platinum, it is found verydesirable to be able to form both the keeper and the guard member verysmall and of thin stock and when so con stru'cted it is essential thatthe whole should be made in such a way that it will still be strong anddurable to. resist the heavy strains to which it issometimes subjected,without distortion.

In order to accomplish this result in a simple and effective way I firstprovide means whereby the side ears when positioned with the guardmember between them, willbe prevented from spreading; and one means ofaccomplishing this is to provide one or more locking bars 20 which willbe adapted to extend from the mar in of one ear to the margin of theopposite ear-and be connected to both of these ears to prevent them fromspreading under heavy strains Which are often brought upon them. Toaccomplish this, these arms or bars 20 may be integral at one end withone of the ears,

and its free end may be engaged bye pair of bendable lugs 22 to 'lockthis free end securely in position, or in some other cases the bar27,such as illustrated in Fig. 10.

"may be formed separate and independent of theside ears and have bothits opposite ends connected to the two opposite ears, as bestillustrated in Fig. 9, but I do not wish to berestricted to anyparticular means of connecting the side ears, as any suitable means maybe employed for preventing these ears from spreading.

It is also found in practice necessary in some'instances, to providemeans for preventing the guard member 23 from spreading and this I haveaccomplishedby providing a shoulder 28 in one of the side ears of thekeeper against which the outer face ofthe guard rests, on one side ofits slot portedby-either one or both of the front cross bars 20, seeFigs. 6 and 7. v

The device is extremely simple and practical in construction and by theuse of my improved means for preventing the parts from spreading theymay be made very thin and light and still be strong and durable.

The foregoing description is directed solely toward the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve theprivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceis susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by theterms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety catch comprising a keeper, having a pair of spaced-apartside ears connected together at their base portions and adapted to besecured in position against rotation, a guard member rotatably mountedbetween said ears, and means for preventing the free edges of said fixedears from spreading.

2. A safety catch comprising a keeper having a pair of spaced-apart sideears connected together at their base portions and adapted to be securedin position against rotation, and a cross-bar connecting the free edgesof said fixed ears to prevent them from spreading.

nected together at their base portions. and

a cross-bar connecting the free edges of said ears to prevent them fromspreading, and means for locking said bar to said ears.

4:, A safety catch comprising a keeper having a pair of spaced-apartside ears connected together at their base portions, a cross-bar.connecting the free edges of said ears to prevent them from spreading,and bendable lugs on the ears engaging the free end of said bar to lockit in position.

5. A safety catch comprising a keeper having a pair of spaced-apart sideears connected together at their base portions, and a bendable cross-barintegral at one end with one of said ears and secured at its oppositeend to the opposite ears to prevent them from spreading.

6. A safety catch comprising a keeper having a pair of spaced-apart sideears connected together at their base and provided with marginal slots,a ring-shaped guard .member rotatably mounted between said ears and alsoprovided with a marginal slot.

carried by one of said ears providing a peripheral support for saidguard on opposite sides of its center to prevent said guard fromspreading.

8. A safety catch comprisin a keeper havin a pair of spaced-apart si eears connecte at their base and providedwith marginal slots, aring-shaped guard member rotatably mounted between said ears and alsoprovided with a marginal slot, and a shoull0 der formed on the innerface of one of said ears to provide a peripheral support for said guardmember.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN FIELDING.

